Strategies to Halt the Troops and Win Public Opinion

The leaders planned to stall the federal government's troops by burning the grass in front of them and destroying their supply wagons. By stalling the troops, they aimed to influence Congress to order the troops back and win public opinion against the president's decision. The strategy was successful, as the troops ended up spending the winter near a burned-down fort, and the leaders aimed to avoid bloodshed and gain public support, although ultimately, a war atrocity occurred.